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Kentucky football's Ohio freshmen impressing coaches

LEXINGTON, Ky. The ability of the University of Kentucky football team to rise in the Southeastern Conference over the next few seasons could depend significantly on the contributions of the Wildcats' highly touted 2014 signees from Ohio.

Kentucky football's Ohio freshmen impressing coaches

Dorian Baker of Cleveland says the Ohio freshmen “definitely have a bond” at Kentucky.(Photo: James Crisp/Special to the C-J)Buy Photo

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The ability of the University of Kentucky football team to rise in the Southeastern Conference over the next few seasons could depend significantly on the contributions of the Wildcats' highly touted 2014 signees from Ohio.

Now that those freshmen have begun practice, UK's coaches believe they've landed some keepers.

"When you walk around, it's a good-looking group," said tight ends coach Vince Marrow, the staff's primary recruiter in Ohio. "Along with the Ohio guys and some of the Kentucky guys, it's good to have these guys here."

UK signed 10 players from Ohio in the 2014 class, and they are of unprecedented quality as far as the Wildcats' recent recruiting in that state is concerned.

Big Cleveland wide receiver Dorian Baker, Springfield wide receiver Thaddeus Snodgrass and West Chester running back Mikel Horton all figure to be in the mix to play as freshmen.

Kentucky running backs coach is high on freshmen Horton and Williams

This also will be the first year Nebraska running back transfer Braylon Heard, a former four-star high school player from Youngstown, is eligible to play, and he's expected to be a top contributor.

"There's good football everywhere, and you know how it is when guys come to college: 'Oh, Florida' (is the place). 'Oh, Georgia,' " Heard said. "… We (in Ohio) are in the top three in states across the nation. We're up there."

The eight top-40 Ohioans were three more than UK signed altogether in the 10 years before Mark Stoops was hired, and they were a big part of a 28-man class that was ranked a program-best No. 17 by Rivals.com.

"We've got a really bright future," said Huber Heights' Hendrix, who was UK's first verbal commitment in the class in March 2013. "I feel like in the next year or two the sky's the limit, and I really mean that from the heart. I think we'll be able to do anything, play with anybody, beat anybody.

"It's just going to take time. A lot of guys came in with big size already, so I feel like in the next couple years we'll be a big, physical, smart team."

Only one of the 2014 Ohio signees — Edwards, a four-star Cincinnati cornerback — didn't make it to campus, but he plans to enroll in January. West, a four-star safety from Lima, will miss this season with a leg injury.

Even if some of the Ohio freshmen don't play this season, the coaches hold them in high regard. Offensive coordinator Neal Brown said Long, of Westerville, might be in line to redshirt because tight end is a difficult position to learn in UK's system.

But Long isn't short on talent.

"Really smart kid, great character kid," Brown said. " He's going to be what we want at that position. Is he right now? Probably not. … But he's long. He runs well. He's eager. I think he loves to play, which is always the most important thing when I'm judging guys."

If a true freshman offensive lineman sees the field in 2014, the 6-foot-8, 303-pound Krok could be the guy. Krok, who is playing behind senior Darrian Miller at left tackle, thinks he has a shot.

"Yes, definitely," he said. "I've been working on everything I need to during camp, learning a lot from the older guys."

Baker, an early standout in camp, said the Ohio freshmen "definitely have a bond" because they have been playing with or against each other at camps for years. It builds an atmosphere that helps UK's continued recruiting efforts in Ohio.

Six of the Wildcats' 13 commitments for the 2015 class are from the state

Kentucky's A.J. Stamps, top, practices on campus in Lexington. Aug. 12, 2014 (Photo: James Crisp, Special to the C-J)

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"We've started us a pipeline now," said Marrow, whose team landed three 2013 Ohioans, too. "I had to go in first and try to change it, but now it's a pipeline where those guys, their coaches and parents are reaching out to me."

Marrow tells recruiting targets in Ohio to look at UK's 2013 and '14 classes, "look at the offers they had, look at who we beat out on them, and the rest is history."

Now when prospects and their families visit UK, he said, "and they meet the people from Kentucky, it's nearly a done deal."

Heard said he never considered UK when he was in high school even though he had a scholarship offer from the Cats, "but I'm glad I'm here now."

"It's a lot closer to home," he said. "Your parents can come to the games. If I was far away at USC or something, they'd have to spend all that money on plane tickets, which would be hard to afford. They can just drive right now."

Steve Jones can be reached at (502) 582-7176 and followed on Twitter at @SteveJones_CJ.

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